Flaring tool



United States Patent 9 2,998,839 FLARING TOOL Carl H. Ingwer, Elyria, Ohio, assignor to The Ridge Tool Company, Elyria, Ohio Filed Dec. 3, 1957, Ser. No. 700,4!14 8 Claims. (Cl. 153-81) This invention relates to a flaring tool which is particularly intended for flaring the end of copper tubing and the like.

One of the disadvantages connected with flaring tools of previous design has been the practical difficulty, if not outright impossibility, of using such toolsto produce a flared end on tubing of small diameter. The present in vention avoids this difficulty by virtue of its novel construction which renders it especially well adapted for use on tubing of the smallest sizes commercially available, as well as on larger sized tubing.

Accordingly, therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved flaring tool, and particularly such a flaring tool which is adapted for use on small diameter tubing.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel flaring tool which requires minimum adjustment in order to-be used on tubing of various sizes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flaring tool of novel construction which more effectively shields the working parts of the tool from dust, dirt and other foreign matter.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel flaring tool which has an improved arrangement for positioning the flaring element initially in engagement with the end of the tube to be flared and for retracting the tool away from the tube at the completion of the flaring operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel flaring tool having improved bearing support for its working parts, which contributes to its improved performance.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, which is illustrated ,in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section through one embodiment of the present tool, taken along the line 1--1 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a top elevational view of the tube clamping portion of the FIGURE 1 tool; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through a second embodiment of the present tool.

The tube clamping portion of the tool as such forms no part of the present invention. Preferably, it may be constructed as disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Carl H. Ingwer et al., Serial No. 662,789, filed May 31, 1957, now Patent No. 2,948,326.

Referring to FIG. 2, the clamping portion of the tool includes a rigid fixed frame or base having a top plate 7 10, a bottom plate 11 (FIG. 1) spaced below the top plate and extending parallel thereto, and a side 12 which interconnects the top and bottom plates. The top and bottom plates have elongated extensions which are interconnected by the side 12 and which define therewith a channelshaped handle 112.

The top plate is formed with a generally rectangular, oblong opening 13. An identical opening is formed in the bottom plate 11 directly beneath the opening 13. A U-shaped support member 14 has a rectangular upper leg 15 snugly, but slidably, received in the opening 13 in top plate 10, a similar lower leg similarly received in the corresponding opening in bottom plate 11, and a. bridging wall 17 which interconnects the upper'and lower legs. A

wall 17 of the support member -14 and is bent over the edges of the support member, the spring being bowed outwardly from the bridging wall 17. At one end the spring 18 terminates in a hook-shaped segment 18a which extends away from the support member 14.

The upper leg 15 of support member 14 is formed with an oblong opening 19 while the lower leg has a similarly positioned circular opening. A first clamping jaw member 21, which is generally hexagonal in outline, is rotatably mounted on the support member 14 by means of a pin indicated generally by the reference numeral 22. The pin 22 has a spring and ball interlock with the clamping jaw 21, which provides a frictional interlock between these members which may be overcome manually when it it desired to turn the clamping member 21 about pin 22 to a new angular position. At each of its six outer faces the clamping member 21 presents a semi-circular recess. These recesses 29a-29f are of different sizes to accommodate tubing of various sizes. At their upper ends the semi-circular recesses 29a-29f are formed with outwardly beveled faces 30a-30f, respectively, which extend at 45 to the vertical. These beveled faces are the surfaces against which the end of the tube is forced to produce a flare on that end of the tube. Each of the beveled faces 30a-30f has a different depth than the other, depending upon the size of the tube to be received in the corresponding semi-circular recess 29a-29f in the clamping member. The larger the recess, the deeper the beveled face.

A second clamping member 31, identical to the first, is rotatably mounted between the top and bottom plates 10, 11 of the frame at the end of the frame remote from the handle. The second clamping member 31 is rotatably mounted on a pin 32 and has a frictional interlock therewith, the same as jaw 21 and pin 22.

At its six outer faces the clamping member 31 provides semi-circular recesses 39a-39f having respective beveled faces 4012-401. These recesses and beveled faces are identical to those on the first clamping member 21. The two clamping members 21 and 31 may provide any one of six circular openings for receiving the correspondingly sized tubing.

An elongated adjustable handle 50 of channel-shaped cross-section is pivotally mounted on the frame by means of a pin 51. At its inner end the pivoted handle 50 presents a transverse protrusion 52 at one side which terminates in an end face 53, which engages the inner face of the side wall 12 of the frame to limit the movement of handle 50 toward the frame handle 112. A roller 54 is rotatably supported on handle 50' by means of a pin 55. The periphery of this roller projects from the inner end of handle 50 for engagement with the bowed portion of spring 18 overlying the bridging wall 17 of the support 14 for the first clamping member 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the hooked end 18a of spring 18 is positioned to be engaged by the opposite side of roller 54 when the adjustable handle 50 is pivoted clockwise.

When the handle 50 is pivoted clockwise in FIG. 2, it retracts roller 54 away from the bowed portion of spring 18 and into engagement with the hooked end 18a of this spring, thereby positively retracting the support 14 for the first clamping jaw 21 to the right in FIG. 2,

" releasing the tube held between the jaws 21, 31 and leaf spring 18 extends across the outside of the bridging I enabling these jaws to be turned to a new angular position, if desired.

After this adjustment has been made and a new tube inserted between the jaws, the handle 50 may be pivoted counter-clockwise in FIG. 2. The roller 54 is brought into engagement with bowed portion of spring 18, forcing the holder 14 for the first jaw 21 to the left in FIG. 2 until the tube is tightly clamped between the 3 jaws. Spring 18 forms a spring coupling between the pivoted handle 50 and the holder 14 for the first jaw.

The top wall of the frame is formed with an upwardly offset segment above the second clamping member 31 which defines a channel in which is slidably mounted a stop member 101. The stop member is formed with an elongated slot through which the pin 32 extends freely. The stop member 101 thus can slide freely across the top of clamping jaw 31 to the extent permitted by the length of its slot. At its outer end the slidable stop member 101 has an upstanding segment 103 which may be engaged by the users finger to push the stop member inwardly. At its inner end the stop member 101 is formed with an arcuate recess 104 for engagement by the flaring element of the tool.

Referring to FIG. 1, a bifurcated yoke 60 is mounted on the base of the tool to overlie the confronting faces of the clamping jaws 21 and 31. The yoke has its opposite legs attached to the base by means of threaded bolts 61, 62, which extend on opposite sides of the confronting faces of the clamping jaws, as best seen in FIG. 2. At its upper end the yoke is formed with a centrally disposed, downwardly extending, threaded opening 63 which is directly over the tube-receiving circular opening defined by the confronting faces of the clamping jaws 21 and 31.

In accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, an externally threaded sleeve 64 is threadedly received in this opening in the yoke. The sleeve 64 has a transverse top wall 65 of appreciable vertical extent having a smooth-walled vertical 'bore 66 which provides a bearing support for the upper end of a cylindrical rod 67. The rod 67 has its axis coincident with the axis of the tube 42 clamped in place between the jaws 21 and 31. Below its top wall 65 the sleeve is formed with an enlarged counterbore 68 which is open at its lower end. The rod 67 carries an enlarged cylindrical lower head 69 which is rotatably and slidably received in the lower end of the counterbore. A coil spring 70 is under compression between the top of head 69 and a thrust plate 71. A ball bearing assembly 72 is engaged between the thrust plate and the upper end of the counterbore. With this arrangement, the spring 70 acts to force the rod 67 downward in FIG. 1.

The head 69 on rod 67 has its flat bottom 73 inclined at an angle slightly less than 90 with respect to the axis of the rod. A stem 74 integral with the head 69 is connected to the head 69 slightly off-center from the axis of rod 67 and projects down perpendicular to the bottom face 73 on the head and at an acute angle to the conjoint axis of the sleeve 64, the rod 67 and the tube 42 which is to be flared.

The flaring element or mandrel 75 in the present tool has a conical lower end for engagement with the upper end of the tube 42 to be flared. The flaring element has a cylindrical socket 76, open at its upper end, in which the stem 74 is rotatably received. The stem is formed with an annular groove 77 in its periphery which is disposed within the socket 76 in the flaring element and which receives a locking pin 78 carried by the flaring element. A ball bearing assembly 79 is disposed between the flat top face of the flaring element 75 and the bottom face 73 on the head 79. Of particular importance is the fact that the apex 75a of the conical bottom face of the flaring element is positioned coincident with the conjoint axis of rod 67 and the tube 42 to be flared.

At its upper end rod 67 is cut away on opposite sides and is received freely between the depending opposite legs 81 on the bifurcated lower end of a crank 82. A cross pin 83 provides a pivotal connection between the crank 82 and rod 67.

Between its depending legs 81 the crank is formed with a downwardly facing recess 84 which receives a compression coil spring 85. A ball 86 engages the lower end of the spring and is slidable into the recess 84. The upper end of rod 67 is formed with an upwardly facing recess 87 somewhat smaller than the ball. When the crank 82 is positioned as shown in FIG. 1, the ball 86 seats in recess 87 and provides a coupling between the crank and rod 67 so that turning of the crank about the axis of rod 67 causes the rod to turn with it.

Each lower leg 81 on crank 82 has a flat bottom edge 88. Cam surfaces 89 extend up and outward from this bottom edge 88 at opposite sides of pivot pin 83,

these cam surfaces gradually diverging away from the pivot pin 83 and terminating at their upper ends in straight sides These sides 90 are disposed at a greater distance from the pivot pin 83 than the bottom edges 88 and extend perpendicular to those bottom edges.

In the initial position of the parts, crank 82 extendsperpendicular to rod 67 and is coupled thereto by the ball and socket coupling 86, 87. Spring 70 forces the rod 67 downward along sleeve 64 and positions the bottom' edges 88 of the crank in engagement with the top wall 65 of sleeve 64.

When crank 82 is pivoted about the pin 83 in either direction, the corresponding cam surfaces 89 first ride across the top of sleeve 64 and then the corresponding sides 90 are brought into engagement with the top of the sleeve. This pivotal movement of the crank pulls the rod 67 up along sleeve 64 and compresses spring 70 further. Such compression of the spring establishes substantial friction between the top of sleeve 64 and the sides 90 on the crank which engage it.

Because of this friction, when crank 82 is turned about the axis of rod 67 the sleeve 64 turns with it. By turning the crank 82 in the proper direction the sleeve 64 is screwed downward in the yoke 60. At the same time the rod 67 and the flaring element 75 coupled thereto also move downward in unison with crank 82 and sleeve 64, due to the connection at pin 83 between the crank 82 and rod 67 When the flaring element 75 engages the upper end of the pipe 42 to be flared, this provides substantial frictional resistance to the continued turning of sleeve 64 in unison with crank 82. As a result, the sides 90 of the crank begin to slip frictionally across the top of sleeve 64 and the sleeve no longer turns with the crank. This occurrence is immediately apparent to the user of the tool and tells him that the flaring element 75 is engaging the end of the tube 42 to be flared, in proper position for the beginning of a flaring operation.

The user now pivots the crank 82 back to its original position, perpendicular to rod 67. This establishes the frictional interlock at ball 86 and socket 87 between crank 82 and rod 67. At this time, the bottom edges 88 of crank 82 are spaced a slight distance above the top of sleeve 64, as shown in FIG. 1.

FLARING OPERATION With the parts in this position, the user rotates the crank 82 about the axis of rod 67, causing the latter to turn with it. The stem 74 on the lower end of the rod turns orbitally about the axis of the rod 67. Due to the coupling provided by pin 78 and the reaction of the flaring element 75 against the tube being flared, the flaring element turns in the opposite direction about the axis of rod 67. In such movement of the flaring element, its apex 75a remains at a point aligned with the conjoint axis of rod 67 and the tube 42 being flared. Therefore, the flaring element 75 turns about this point, with its conical surface rolling across the inner side of the upper end of tube 42, engaging successive portions of the inner side wall of the tube as the flaring element turns. In this manner the upper end of tube 42 is flared out against the adjacent bevel faces of the clamping jaws 21 and 31 in a gradual, progressive manner which avoids splitting of the tube.

The force exerted on tube 42 by the flaring element is determined solely by spring 70. This spring force may be adjusted simply by turning sleeve '64 down or up along yoke 60, so as to apply greater or less compression on the spring.

Because the apex 75a of the flaring element is always disposed on the conjoint axis of the rod 67 and tube 42, the flaring element is capable of operating on smaller diameter tubes than was possible heretofore. At the same time, the flaring element does not engage the entire inner side of the tube at one time, but rather it rolls progressively across the inner side of the tube so that even such small sized tubes can be flared without danger of their being split.

It will be apparent that this action of the flaring element in the present tool is essentially the same, regardless of the size tubing on which it is operating. Thus, for larger diameter tubing, the flaring element will merely project farther down into the tube and will engage the tube higher up on its own conical side. Therefore, no adjustment of the flaring mechanism is required to change over from small to larger tubing, or vice versa, except to turn the clamping jaws 21 and 31 to accommodate the correspondingly sized tubing.

The rather thick top wall 65 of sleeve 64 provides an extensive bearing surface at bore 66 for rod 67 to support and guide the latter for both sliding and rotational movement. The head 69 on the rod has a similar bearing support at the lower end of sleeve 64. Due to these spaced bearings at its upper and lower ends, the rod 67 is accurately guided during the operation of the tool.

Also, the sleeve 64 and the head 69 completely enclose "the spring 70 and the ball bearing assembly 72, so that these working parts are effectively shielded from dust,

dirt'or other foreign material.

FIG. 3 EMBODIMENT FIGURE 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the present tool which has an improved arrangement for positioning the flaring element 75 initially in engagement with the end of the tube 45 to be flared.

The arrangement is substantially identical to that shown in FIG. 1, except for the mounting of the sleeve in the yoke. In FIG. 3 the sleeve 100 is slidably mounted in the yoke 101', rather than threadedly mounted therein, as in FIG. 1. To this end the yoke 101 is formed with a smooth-walled bore 102 extending down from the top and a counterbore 103' located just above the clamping jaws.

At one side of the bore 102 the yoke has a vertical slot 104', in whose lower end is seated a compression coil spring 105. A pin 106 carried by the sleeve 100 is slidably received in this slot. The spring 105, acting against the pin 106, biases the sleeve 100 upward along the yoke 101' in FIG. 3 away from the clamping jaws. Sleeve 100 cannot turn in the yoke because of the engagement of pin 106 in slot 104, but is confined to sliding movement lengthwise therein. Between the spring 105 and the bore 101 in the yoke the slot 104 presents an upwardly facing shoulder 104a which limits the extent to which the pin 106 may move downward.

At its opposite side the sleeve 100 is formed with a vertical series of ratchet teeth. A latch 108 is pivoted on a pin 109 carried by the yoke and is biased by a torsion spring 110 to position its toothed inner end in engagement with the ratchet teeth on the sleeve. The pivoted latch 108 is mounted in a slot 111 which extends down from the top of the yoke. The outer end of the latch projects beyond the side of the yoke and is accessible thereat to be manually operated. Obviously, the inclination of the ratchet teeth 107 on the sleeve 100 and the teeth on latch 108 is such that when the sleeve is pushed down its ratchet teeth slide over the teeth on the latch. However, the latch under the bias of its spring 110 holds the sleeve against upward movement.

At its lower end, the sleeve 100 carries a laterally 6 projecting ring 112 which is engageable with the upper end of the counterbore 103 in the yoke to limit the upward movement of the sleeve with respect to the bore.

The ball bearing assembly between the upper end'of spring 70 and the sleeve is omitted in FIG. 3. i

In all but these respects, the FIG. 3 assembly is identical to FIG. 1 and the same reference numerals are applied to the corresponding elements.

In the use of the FIG. 3 tool, the handle 82 is pivoted to either side about its connection to rod 67, pulling the rod upward slightly with respect to sleeve 100 andcompressing spring 70 further.

Then the crank is pushed downward toward "the tube to be flared, carrying with it the rod 67 and sleeve 100, until the flaring element 75 engages the end of the tube to be flared. Then the crank is pivoted 'back about its connection to rod 67 to the FIG. 3 position. The spring 70 now exerts a predetermined downward force on the flaring element, as in the first-described embodiment. The latch 108 locks the sleeve 100 in this position.

The flaring operation is carried out in the same manner as with the FIG. 1 embodiment.

Following this, the flaring element may be retracted away from the flared end of the tube by pivoting the latch 108 counterclockwise in FIG. 8. This releases the sleeve 100 which is pushed upward by spring 105. The flared tube 42 now may be removed readily by releasing the clamping jaws.

Obviously, the FIG. 3 embodiment of this invention has all the advantages associatedwith the FIG. 1 embodiment. It also has the added advantages that the flaring element may be positioned more readily in initial engagement with the tube prior to the flaring operation and that it may be more easily and quickly retracted away from the flared end of the tube following the flaring operation. Moreover, the pin 106 and slot 104 positively lock the sleeve 100 against turning while the tubeis being flared.

While there have been described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing two embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that various modifications, omissions and refinements which depart from the disclosed embodiments may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, any other suitable form of tube clamping arrangement may be used, if desired.

I claim:

1. In a flaring tool having means for supporting a tube to be flared and having a seat for supporting the flare, and a single flaring element having a conical peripheral surface positioned to engage the inside of one end of the tube supported by said supporting means, the improvement which comprises means solely supporting said flaring element from its base with its axis extending at an acute angle to the axis of the tube, and means for turning said last-mentioned means about the axis of the tube to cause the conical peripheral surface on the flaring element to roll across the inside of said one end of the tube to flare said end of the tube outward and move it against said seat.

2. In a flaring tool having means for supporting a tube to be flared, and a single conical flaring element having an inclined peripheral surface for engagement with the inside of the tube at one end thereof, the improvement which comprises means supporting said flaring element at its base with its axis extending at an acute angle to the axis of the tube, spring means forcing said last-mentioned means and the flaring element endwise to position the flaring element in engagement with the inside of the tube at said one end, and means for turning said flaring element-supporting means about the axis of the tube to cause the inclined peripheral surface of the flaring element to roll across successive portions of the inside of the tube at said end to flare said end of the tube outward.

3. In a flaring tool having means for supporting a tube to be flared and having a portion for gripping the tube spaced from the end to be flared, and a rod mountedfor rotation about an axis coaxial with the tube, the improvement which comprises a stem connected to the rod offcenter from the conjoint axis of the tube and rod and extending at an acute angle to said axis toward the end of the tube to be flared and toward said axis, and a single conical flaring element mounted rotatably from its base on the stem to be turned about the axis of the stem as the rod is rotated and the stem is carried thereby, said flaring element having a sloping peripheral surface which rolls across the inside of the tube at said end of the tube to flare said end of the tube outward.

4. In a flaring tool having means for supporting a tube to be flared, the improvement which comprises a sleeve mounted in coaxial alignment with the tube to be flared and having a transverse wall at its end remote from the tube which is of substantial thickness, said transverse end wall on the sleeve having a smooth-walled bore extending therethrough, said sleeve having a counterbore which communicates with said bore and which is open at the end of the sleeve adjacent the tube, both said bore and said counterbore in the sleeve being coaxial with thetube, a cylindrical rod extending through said bore and having a sliding and rotatable fit therein, an enlarged circular head connected to said rod and having a rotatable and sliding fit in the open end of the counterbore, a coil spring under compression between said transverse end wall' of the sleeve and said head on the rod, said head having a flat end face facing toward the tube which is inclined at an oblique angle to the conjoint axis of the tubeaand the bore and counterbore, a stem connected to said head olfset from the axis of the tube and extending-perpendicularly from said end face toward the tube, a flaring element having a conical peripheral surface at its end adjacent the tube and having a socket open at its opposite end, said stem being rotatably received in said socket and having an annular peripheral groove thereat, a coupling pin connected to said flaring element and received in said annular groove so that the flaring element turns about the axis of said stem in a direction opposite to the direction in which the stem is turned when said rod is rotated, a ball bearing assembly engaged between said inclined end face on the head and said opposite end of the flaring element, the conical peripheral surface on the flaring element at its end adjacent the tube terminating in an apex which is positioned on the axis of said rod, and means for turning said provided means locking said bias of said last-mentioned spring means.

6 In a flaring tool having means for supporting a tube.

to be flared, the improvement which comprises a support disposed opposite to said tube supporting means, a memb'er reciprocably mounted in said support for sliding movement toward and away from tube supporting means,

a ,tube flaring element carried by the reciprocably mounted member, means releasably coupling said reciproeably mounted member with the flaring element to the support to move conjointly toward and away from the end of the tube to be flared, spring means biasing said member away from said tube supporting means, and

means for releasably' locking said member in the position movement toward and away from said tube supporting rod about its axis to cause the flaring element to turn in means, means acting between the sleeve and said support which'locks the sleeve against turning in said support, spring means acting between the support and the sleeve which biases the sleeve away from said tube supporting ."r'nans, a rod extending axially through said sleeve,aflai'ing element coupled to the inner end of the rod to be turned thereby, means including a spring under compression within said sleeve and acting between the sleeve and said rod tocouple the rod to the sleeve so that the rod and the flaring element move with the sleeve when the sleeve is moved toward or away from said tube supporting means, and a latch pivoted on said support and engageable with the sleeve to lock the sleeve in position inward toward said tube supporting means against the" bias at said springmeans, said latch having a portion which projects outward beyond said support for manual actuation to disengage the latch from the sleeve.

8. A deviceas described in claim 7 wherein the rod is provided with a stem off-center to the axis of the rod and the flaring clement comprises a conical member disposed on said stem with the apex at the center axis of the tube to be flared.

References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,766

sleeve against turning, spring means biasingihe sleeve away from the tube to be flared, and means for'releasably locking the sleeve in position toward the end of the tube to be flared and against the 

